Starmount defeated Wilkes Central on the road Friday night, and in the process, senior Kyler Gregory surpassed the 1,000-point mark in his career in his fourth-straight double-double performance.

Ryan DeCosta | The Tribune

Starmount split Friday night’s games on the road against Wilkes Central.

BOYS

WILKESBORO – Starmount held Wilkes Central to just 10 points in the first half on their way to a 58-49 win on the road. However, Rams fans will be remembering one player’s performance for a long time, as he reached a milestone in the process.

Senior Kyler Gregory scored 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for a double-double in his fourth-straight game. With the 29 points, Gregory surpassed the 1,000-point mark in his career and then some.

The Rams, after starting 1-4, have rebounded thanks to a 9-game winning streak to boast a 12-9 record and lead the Mountain Valley Athletic Conference at 10-2. With only two games left before the conference tournament, they control their own destiny this week.

Their first opponent this week could ultimately decide home-court advantage for the tournament. They host North Wilkes Tuesday night with one goal; win. If they do, they will automatically clinch the No. 1 seed for the tournament as they would guarantee the tiebreaker if necessary. The game will also be the opportunity to celebrate three seniors on the squad in Gregory, Brandon Prescott and Andrew Smythers.

Following that, the Rams will close out their regular season Friday night at Alleghany.

GIRLS

WILKESBORO – The upcoming week for the Starmount girls team got a little bit more interesting following a blowout 73-41 loss to Wilkes Central Friday night.

Now sitting at 3-18 overall and 2-10 in the conference, the team does not control its own destiny, but can finish as high as sixth in the conference. That could potentially pit them against East Wilkes in the first round of the conference tournament. The comparison to where the team was at the start of the season and where they are now is night and day, and it showed as they competed against the Cardinals in spurts and even North Wilkes.

They need to buckle down and get something this week or they could be in serious trouble. Despite losing to the defending 2A-champion Friday night, they need to play with confidence against North Wilkes and Alleghany, for it’s sure to be their only shot for the upset bid.

The team has had both mental breakdowns that have lasted just enough to cost them a game or two, but conversely, have taken it to conference teams West Wilkes and Alleghany. Their confidence is growing, and there’s no doubt that it’s growing.

Ryan DeCosta can be reached at 336-258-4052 or via Twitter @rsdecosta.

Starmount defeated Wilkes Central on the road Friday night, and in the process, senior Kyler Gregory surpassed the 1,000-point mark in his career in his fourth-straight double-double performance.

https://www.yadkinripple.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_DSC_0297c.jpgStarmount defeated Wilkes Central on the road Friday night, and in the process, senior Kyler Gregory surpassed the 1,000-point mark in his career in his fourth-straight double-double performance. Ryan DeCosta | The Tribune